Affection
by Inu Kaiba
Summary: NaruSasu. Whose affection do you value more – theirs or his? OneShot.


Inu Kaiba: A line inspired by Star Girl and fueled by Bleach. Also managed to finish downloading the subbed Naruto movie. Still need to see it.

Summary: NaruSasu. Who's affection do you value more – theirs or his? One-Shot.

* * *

I slipped my head phones over my ears, feeling the padded foam lightly rest against them and hearing the music fill my ears. I could almost feel myself floating as the upbeat, catchy tune of the song made me want to dance around and sing and praise.

But what for? It wasn't as if anything outstanding enough to dance around too was happening too Uzumaki Naruto at that time; nor any time for that matter.

_Miageta Yozora no Hoshi-tachi no Hikari…_

I slipped the headphones off my ears as carefully as possible then chucked them at the ground with a hell of a lot of force. Pissed was an understatement right now, and I wondered why I'd bothered to slide the headphones off instead of just ripping them off and throwing them on the ground. But… Then I would've broken them for sure and practically ripped my ears off and they would hurt and I'd have broken the plastic that keeps the damn things on. At least this way they might still work.

Heaving a sigh, I reached down and picked the offending plastic off the ground and placed them on my desk near by.

I flopped back onto my bed shifting my arms until they were folded beneath my head. I glanced out the window and saw the moon and stars peek through the blinds. I got up and walked over to the window pulling the blinds closed, but not before getting a good long hard look at the world outside. All the twinkling lights of the city caught my eye. It had always fascinated me to stare out at the night sky, ever since I was little. It'd been my comfort, my happy place. But now, staring out at all those lights, it could only remind me of him…

All too soon, I was snapped out of my thoughts by a shrill beeping sound coming from the computer.

I pulled the cord and the blinds closed on the world and ultimately all the thoughts that had been rushing through my mind. 'What was I going to do?'

I'd been thinking so much for the past few days it was scary, after all, who'd expect someone like me to spend so much time on a simple train of thoughts.

But all my thoughts led back to him, a cold hearted enigma. Bastard of all bastards. It was no use, I needed to distract myself before I went insane, and those knives were starting to look pretty tempting.

I sat down at my computer desk in my dark orange desk chair, pressing the button that seemed to bring the computer screen back to life, after looking so dull and black. A distraction was in order and boy could I use one.

That's when I remembered the beeping sound. Someone had been trying to talk to me. My hand moved fast and quick, swiftly gripping the mouse and moving it over to click on the window.

I carefully read over the text.

cHeRrY-bLoSsOm-sAkUrA says, "Hey Naruto."

"You there?"

"Guess not."

"Hey, well I wanted to ask you what was up with Sasuke and you today. You guys were fighting and then all of a sudden, you seemed so distant. And you guys are like, best friends! You've gotta sort it out Naruto, I mean it'd be horrible to waste your friendship with Sasuke over a tiff! Even if he's gonna be my boyfriend someday…"

cHeRrY-bLoSsOm-sAkUrA winks.

cHeRrY-bLoSsOm-sAkUrA says, "Well whatever. It doesn't really matter I think I like Neji better anyways. He's sooooo hot!"

nArUtO-iS-tHe-bEsT says, "Oh."

cHeRrY-bLoSsOm-sAkUrA says, "Well I have to go. But I'll talk to you some other time okay Naruto? I hope you can sort things out! Bye!"

cHeRrY-bLoSsOm-sAkUrA has left the conversation.

cHeRrY-bLoSsOm-sAkUrA is now offline.

I paused to think over Sakura's words. In the span of five minutes she had told me I was best friends with Sasuke, I should make up with him, said he was going to be her boyfriend and winked, then changed her mind and said she liked Neji better. Then she'd left, telling me to sort things out. Yeah… I was scared.

Yeah, I was stuck. And I had to solve this problem. Isn't the best way to retrace your steps when you solve a problem? But then again, that's usually used when you find something…

Wouldn't it be acceptable though, to use it this once? To use it to retrieve what I lost? Wait… Why am I asking myself?

I smacked my forehead and moved the mouse across the desk clicking Shut Down. I pressed the off button for the screen. I flopped back onto the bed returning my hands to their position folded beneath my head and closed my eyes, trying to think but instead slowly drifting off into something you could call a peaceful sleep…

* * *

It all started back when I met Sasuke…

Dammit, that was years ago. That's too early!

Fast forward dammit.

Well. I guess it started with that whole, 'when you're growing up, you don't realize you're gay until you notice it' bit. So, I thought I was normal. Turns out I was bisexual. That's not the point though.

I fell in love with a boy… And that was my first mistake.

Sasuke and I had been best friends since… Well I guess sometime in grade school. And I knew this love would break that special friendship we had.

Sasuke was the guy everyone loved. Not me, I was just lowly. But because I was his friend they treated me with some shred of respect, and I was thankful for that.

Sure, we were friends. But that didn't mean Sasuke didn't drive me crazy with his bitchy icy attitude.

But now, I'd realized something. I loved him. And there was no turning back. I just had to hope he loved me too.

But there'd been a problem. Sasuke had noticed something was up with the way I'd been acting; but how are you supposed to act when you love your best friend?

And we'd fought, the memory still making me helpless against tears.

"Naruto. What the fuck is wrong with you? You keep staring at me like that."

"Like how?" I asked. I did realize I'd been staring at Sasuke more than usual, and that it probably seemed funny to him but I just couldn't help it.

"Like your eyes are clouded over and you're thinking of something ultra serious." Sasuke said making a goofy love struck grin. "Like that."

I just stared at my feet shuffling them a little with a sigh. "It's nothing."

"Well when nothing stops, you can be my friend again." And he walked away.

I just stood there, halfway to collapsing and sobbing into my arms. So I gathered my stuff and I ran. I ran as far as I could. I must have run a few miles before I stopped, but when I did I was far enough from everyone to not have to worry about anyone seeing me.

So I sat there with my head in my hands and I cried. I cried my eyes out for every question that came through my head.

Was I gay, bisexual or straight?

Why was I doing that?

How did Sasuke feel about it?

Did he love me?

Did he hate me?

Was I nothing to him?

Did I mean something to him?

What did everyone else think?

What would they think if my dream came true happened?

I don't know why, God must have pitied me. But I just sat there crying managing to choke out a few words. "I… I wish Sasuke loved me back…"

When I'd stopped crying enough to make my way home, I walked the mile and a half or so to get back home.

And that was where I was now, thinking all this over. I'd have to face him on Monday. If only Monday were an eternity away…

* * *

Okay so Monday wasn't an eternity away. Even still, it would have been nice…

So now I was off to face Sasuke because if I didn't go today I'd never be able to face him. Ever.

At least I knew Sakura wouldn't hate me forever even if I did become Sasuke's 'boyfriend'. She had said she liked Neji better after all. And he wouldn't have to worry about Ino, after all those eyes she made at Shikamaru told him all he needed to know.

Walking into school I ran smack into Sasuke. One look at him drained all the blood from my face and my courage flew out the window. I gathered everything I'd dropped and decided to run like hell. I made a mental note to see where the nearest high school in the area was besides this one when Sasuke's hand shot out and grabbed the back of my collar.

"I've been looking all over for you." He said as simply as if he spent normal days 'looking all over for me'.

"Yeah? Why? To tell me you don't care what happens to me?" I snapped. "Is that it? Do you want to be my friend anymore or not Sasuke, 'cause I sure as hell don't wanna be yours."

As Sasuke turned to look at me, I swore I saw a world of hurt in his eyes. Did I hurt him with what I said? Did I…

"Wait, Sasuke… I…"

Sasuke had let go and was halfway down the hallway now. "You're right, and I don't blame you. Who'd wanna be friends with a cold hearted bastard after all?"

And I swore I saw a tear in his eye as he turned and ran.

It sparked that memory I had buried away, the day I met Sasuke.

He'd been sitting and crying on his step. I'd asked him what was wrong and he told me his parents died in a car accident. And that nobody else could take care of him except his older brother, who was sadistically happy their parents were dead.

I'd sat down and gave him a friendly hug. He'd smiled and I'd told him that I didn't have any parents too.

That was why we became friends. After a while though, he wasn't as sweet hearted as he used to be. I guess it was tearing him apart inside that his parents were dead, and they were never coming back.

But I don't think he ever forgot why we were friends, and he never let me go as a friend no matter how popular or pretty he became. And if he ever needed me, even if he didn't seem to, I would have been there for him.

And if he really was crying, maybe he needed me. So I ran after him, I ran and ran trying to think of where he'd go. So I went those two miles I'd gone when I'd ran away and to my surprise and shock, Sasuke was where I'd been in the almost exact spot I'd been in.

I watched him from a corner as he cried his eyes out, and wondered if it was just his friend and his parents he was crying over.

But then he started to saying say something and I moved as close as I could without being seen, straining to hear what he was trying to say.

"I…I wish Naruto loved me back."

The hell? I said nearly falling over from the shock. He… He loved me too? Was it magic or had he always loved me? Why was this happening the same way it happened to me?

W…Wait… Naruto, focus! He's talking again!

"I've always loved you Naruto… I wish it wasn't so hard to love me back. I wish you wouldn't look at me with those lovey-dovey eyes while you're thinking of Hinata or Sakura… It hurts Naruto… I wish you loved me back…"

"But I do…" I whispered. And if there was a guardian angel on my shoulder, I swear it said, "Then tell him."

Whatever it was, whether some unknown force shoved me forward or I moved of my own accord I was suddenly right beside Sasuke.

"N…Naruto!" He practically shrieked in shock, turning away. "Wh..What are you doing here?" He asked finally deciding to turn around and look at me right in the eyes. In those eyes, I saw all the pain and sorrow a young kid like him shouldn't be feeling. I saw rejection, heart break, death, love, loss, hurt and pain.

"I…I followed you Sasuke…" I said looking down at the ground ashamed to tell the truth. Ashamed to put more hurt in those eyes then there already was, and he didn't deserve that. I could almost hear someone in the background singing about how they wanted to take away their lovers' pain and I wished I could do that.

"Y..You heard?" He said his voice rising a pitch. I could hear the tears in his voice and feel the tears in his eyes. I didn't even realize I was crying too until the tears started falling. But I turned around and gave him a wide smile as the tears fell down my face.

"N…Naruto? Wh...What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, just that you were wrong." I said feeling more tears fall.

"What do you mean…." Sasuke asked, even though we both knew perfectly well what I meant. He was just too scared to say it aloud, to have the hope rising in him squashed, to hear the truth crushing his very dreams right before his eyes. And he didn't deserve to feel any more pain.

"You were wrong, 'cuz I do love you back." I said my smile growing wider.

And I swear happiness is infectious, because I could feel Sasuke's happiness radiate off him and It just made me even happier. He practically tackled me grabbing onto my arm, and burying his face in my sleeve crying all the anxiety and fear away, of not knowing.

"Now you don't have to be as sad anymore…" I said patting his head and holding him close.

"Yeah, now that you're here." I heard him say into my chest.

* * *

Even if Sasuke was really accepting, the rest of the world wasn't. When Sasuke placed a careless kiss of his own accord on my lips, the blush and the happiness of the moment could do nothing to ward away the evil that came after it.

No one could accept our 'gay' love, even though I knew I was bisexual.

But it became a bigger and bigger problem. Sasuke and I were still popular within our own little group, but everyone couldn't stand being shunned and soon Sakura was the only one standing by our side.

I asked her why everyone was leaving that one day, asked her why everyone was leaving us.

I asked her what she thought.

"Will it ever stop?"

"No… Naruto listen. There's only one decision you have, and it can make or break your happiness. You have to decide whose affection you value more. Theirs or his?"

"Let me think about it." I said.

"I don't mind being shunned." She added. "And I think I can convince the others to come back. But if you care about all of our affection that much that you'll give up Sasuke's love I'll never forgive you."

"Please make the right decision Naruto. I know you can do it." She said; hope shining in her emerald eyes.

I nodded and turned away. As I turned, I watched her walk off.

In my heart I knew I valued Sasuke's affection way more than almost any other person in this world, except maybe my deceased family and Sakura, my one true friend.

And my decision was made, I'd chosen Sasuke. And I knew in my heart it was worth it.

* * *

Inu Kaiba: I put my mind to it and for the past hour since Rosey left I've been finishing this off. This two day break from school is the greatest. I got my project done, my picture for Kitty done, and the one-shot Rosey wanted to read. I've made everyone happy! Also there's gonna be another chapter, an alternate ending, right about where Sakura walks off Naruto runs off to think and… Well I won't spoil it.

I might write an ending for this un-alternate ending. But that's only if people want a third chapter. x) And if I do write it, It's going to have to go in before the alternate ending, even if I write the alternate ending first.


End file.
